Visiting Lexington next week, any tips?

[GoCat15]

Me and my wife are coming to town next week for the game and staying the weekend. Would appreciate any tips for what hotel is within walking distance to good bars/restaurants and best bar to go on game day. Also any places we should make sure and go to.

Thanks everyone in advance for responding.

 

[rick64]

Tour the Woodford Reserve distillery in Versailles KY just outside Lexington.

 

[Catluv]

A lot of folks like to go to Manchester Street. It is an old distillery that has been converted to a few restaurants and bars. It can get packed out on weekends. Red Mile has slots if you like them.

 

[GoCat15]

Already had my wood fire visit set up, looking forward to it. Will definitely check out Manchester street though!

 

[CB3UK]

The Hilton, 21C, and the Marriott are all right in the middle of downtown close to Rupp Arena and within walking distance of numerous downtown bars and restaurants. I live here in Lexington so I've never stayed at any of them but I believe all are pretty nice.

Yes, the Manchester Distillery District is a short uber/cab ride from these hotels. It's a great time. For grub you can walk to Tony's, Jeff Ruby's, Carson's,....any number of places really that I'm sure the wife would love.

I enjoy Bluegrass Tavern...they've got a wide selection of bourbon to sit and sip. Every bar you walk in to is gonna have the UK/South Carolina game on Saturday.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

Drive cautiously and pain attention, people cannot drive up here and do not pay attention at all

 

[Random UK Fan]

I’d just stay at either They Hyatt, connected righ to Rupp arena or at The Gratz Park Inn; very quaint and stylish, peaceful, beautiful.

Where you coming in from?

 

[BluPappi81]

Take the 30 min drive from Lexington to Paris. Beautiful bluegrass scenery. Claiborne Farms-Secretariat and Seabiscuit were stabled there-is in Paris and you can schedule a tour same day.

 

[GoCat15]

Drive cautiously and pain attention, people cannot drive up here and do not pay attention at all

Lol, I think that is everywhere.

 

[GoCat15]

I’d just stay at either They Hyatt, connected righ to Rupp arena or at The Gratz Park Inn; very quaint and stylish, peaceful, beautiful.

Where you coming in from?

South of St. Louis, MO.

I was thinking about staying at the Hyatt.

 

[GoCat15]

The Hilton, 21C, and the Marriott are all right in the middle of downtown close to Rupp Arena and within walking distance of numerous downtown bars and restaurants. I live here in Lexington so I've never stayed at any of them but I believe all are pretty nice.

Yes, the Manchester Distillery District is a short uber/cab ride from these hotels. It's a great time. For grub you can walk to Tony's, Jeff Ruby's, Carson's,....any number of places really that I'm sure the wife would love.

I enjoy Bluegrass Tavern...they've got a wide selection of bourbon to sit and sip. Every bar you walk in to is gonna have the UK/South Carolina game on Saturday.

Appreciate all that information. Always hate reading reviews on trip advisor or whatever, rather hear it from locals.

 

[Larry Skaggs]

Kenny Rogers Roasters and Dowahares is where we went to last time I was in Lexington

 

[villefan76]

Umm, go to the Eagles concert tomorrow night @ 7:30! The Doobie Brothers will be there as well. Steely Dan was supposed to be there but he’s not going to be there tomorrow night.

 

[Fox2monk]

Kenny Rogers Roasters and Dowahares is where we went to last time I was in Lexington

 

[the nail at the foul line]

Obey all laws.

 

[wmarkedwards]

The only thing I find that I must repeat in Lex other than games is Malone’s. Lexingtonian Salad.

 

[Whoppercat]

Steely Dan was supposed to be there but he’s not going to be there tomorrow night.

FYI - Steely Dan is not a “he”.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

Tour the Woodford Reserve distillery in Versailles KY just outside Lexington.

Bingo. Came here to say the same thing. And if you want, get an uber (we used a Limo before Uber was a thing) and go tour Woodford, Buffalo Trace and others, not having to worry about driving.

I'm pretty sure we fell out of the Limo when we got back to Lexington haha.

 

[Catman100]

Take Versailles road and drive out past the airport and see Keeneland on your right.
Keep going till you see a big castle on your right.
Take the immediate right at the lights by the castle.
Stay on that road till it ends at a church.
Take a left there and go about 3-4 miles till you see Wallace Station on your right.
Eat there and then drive back to the hotel.

You will see tons of horse farms and horses, and a big statue of Secretariat as you get closer to Lexington.

 

[Random UK Fan]

South of St. Louis, MO.

I was thinking about staying at the Hyatt.

Nice.

That Hyatt will put you right in the heart of gameday crowd fun, a nice shopping center and walking distance to several local great restaurants.

 

[CrazyCat74]

I ate at a burger place in Lexington called Cook Out (I believe) a couple years ago. It seemed like a great place to eat for the college kids.

Very tasty food! I can't remember having a better burger.

 

[DreadLox]

There are 2 restaurants in Lexington whose names I will not bandy about for reluctance to add to their popularity. It's hard enough to get in them as it is. The places in the Distillery District that we used to go to -- pre-COVID -- have closed up. I don't know what's out there now. I like Bella Notte as a standby Italian place. Italix isn't as pricey as it looks. We've never had a bad meal at 21C but because it is as pricey as it looks that's fewer than 5. Winchell's on Southland Drive is good pub food. Ramsey's -- home style cooking -- are up and down. (I think there are 3 now.) I liked the food better when there was just the one location on High Street. But that was so long ago I don't think electricity was invented yet. I've been told that the people behind the lamentably-gone Atomic Ramen have another place but it's like something from Through the Looking Glass: I can never find out what that might be. Since even fast food is pricey now, I'll add Freddy's on Nicholasville Rd. They're fine burgers, but their cost seems to doom them. Azur is usually fantastic. Azur out in Beaumont looks like a payday loan joint since it's located in a strip mall. If you like German food and a couple of hundred beers to choose from, there's Marikka's on Southland Drive. A great fish place? Smithtown in the same building as West Sixth. Bad Wolf Burgers seems intent of hiding its location from fans. It's out Rt. 421 in Meadowthorpe now. DV8 Kitchen is as good as it gets for a breakfast/lunch place. It's on Broadway. Zims in the old court house has never disappointed. We've always had fantastic meals in Carson's on Richmond Rd. but it's sometimes impossible to get in. If you don't mind searching for it, Athenian Grill in Chevy Chase is very good.

If you want to drive through the scenic Bluegrass, head out Bryan Station to Windy Corner. Or try Boonedogs Bar & Restaurant out Old Richmond Rd.

 

[CB3UK]

Bad Wolf Burgers seems intent of hiding its location from fans. It's out Rt. 421 in Meadowthorpe now

I was ready to correct you, thinking you were thinking of when it was Meadowthorpe Cafe before they changed to Bad Wolf. But no, a Google search reveals they've moved back to Leestown Rd from Broadway. When the hell did this happen? 😆 I live off Leestown and didn't know. I'm also probably going there for lunch tomorrow now haha

 

[ORCAT]

FYI - Steely Dan is not a “he”.

The group is a he as his partner has been dead for awhile. Not aware of any other Steely Dan, sorry, I guess I live a sheltered life.

 

[TheDude73]

I just bought a single ticket for UK vs. Miami at Rupp Nov 28. I'll be in Cincy for a quick work trip and figured perfect timing to see a game.

Ticketmaster is a joke, however. Nearly everything is "verified resale", but I was lucky and found a $90 "regular" ticket in section 24, Row FF, seat 1 (behind the goal facing the end of the visitor's bench), right next to three verified resale seats that are asking $325 each + fees.

Ticketmaster vowed to stop scalping, and then they enabled it when they saw they could make $$ on it. They are now the main ticket seller and the scalper, all in one. And how many of those "verified resale" are not actual resale, but them just flipping the seat color and asking more $$? How do we know if they were really bought by someone and then being resold? We don't - that's their scheme.

 

[GoToTexas]

You HAVE to go eat at indies chicken and make sure you take a leisurely stroll around the surrounding blocks afterwards (preferably after dark) as it is truly a one of kind scene.

 

[DreadLox]

I was ready to correct you, thinking you were thinking of when it was Meadowthorpe Cafe before they changed to Bad Wolf. But no, a Google search reveals they've moved back to Leestown Rd from Broadway. When the hell did this happen? 😆 I live off Leestown and didn't know. I'm also probably going there for lunch tomorrow now haha

We use 421 to get to I-64 and I can't keep track of how often that place it's in changes hands. What up with the landlord?

 

[Whoppercat]

The group is a he as his partner has been dead for awhile. Not aware of any other Steely Dan, sorry, I guess I live a sheltered life.

Fagen is the last man standing but the band (not person) is Steely Dan.
Did you ever see Lynyrd Skynyrd? He was good, too.

 

[susan2361]

When I was in school there, everyone ate at Joe Bologna's pizza (120 W. Maxwell Street). They have the best and biggest breadsticks in the world...with garlic dipping butter. The pizza is wonderful, too. I live in Owensboro now and have made the drive up there just to get breadsticks and butter, then drive back home. That's how good they are. Been a while, though.

 

[MathUK]

Best. Salad. Ever.

 

[MathUK]

Fagen is the last man standing but the band (not person) is Steely Dan.
Did you ever see Lynyrd Skynyrd? He was good, too.

I went to see Pink Floyd one time, but he had stayed back at the hotel. They sent a surrogate band.

 

[ORCAT]

Fagen is the last man standing but the band (not person) is Steely Dan.
Did you ever see Lynyrd Skynyrd? He was good, too.

Two guys were Steely Dan. They had back up guys but the two were the actual Steely Dan. They had many session players in the studio for their recordings. True story.

 

[MathUK]

Two guys were Steely Dan. They had back up guys but the two were the actual Steely Dan. They had many session players in the studio for their recordings. True story.

Similar to Alan Parsons
project.

 

[Kats meow]

Two guys were Steely Dan. They had back up guys but the two were the actual Steely Dan. They had many session players in the studio for their recordings. True story.

What is the origin of the name Steely Dan?

Fans of Beat Generation literature, Fagen and Becker named the band after a "revolutionary" steam-powered dildo mentioned in the William S. Burroughs novel Naked Lunch.